Holiday Hectic Happenings

Hope all of my "blog" readers (the one or two of you who actually look here) had a lovely Christmas holiday.  May the new year be good to you and your loved ones!

I was officially out of school on Thursday, Dec. 22nd, which I spent wrapping gifts and preparing to go to Muncie to be with my daughter's family.  Drove up there late in the afternoon, with dawg, to help with Christmas preparations.  On the 23rd, Meg and Nathan and the children went to Plainfield to celebrate Nathan's mother's birthday, which gave me an uninterrupted opportunity to "deep" clean--something that just isn't possible with the children there.  I worked like crazy in an effort to take the best advantage of their absence.  It somewhat wore me out, but I felt good about what I did get done.

Christmas Eve was a late night!  We attended a candlelight service at the kids' church, with Meg and Nate singing in the choir.  After that, we got the children to bed, then went about the business of cooking for the next day, wrapping presents, and otherwise getting ready for Santa Claus.  It might have been 2:00-2:30 AM when the adults finally hit the sack.  In the morning, we had to wake the children up at 9:00!  (Meg figures that this may very well be the last year for that.  Next year, the children will probably be up at the crack of dawn!) 

Nathan's parents and his brother and fiancee arrived mid-afternoon to complete our celebration with dinner and gift exchange.  The house looked nice and Christmasy; the food was good.  Everyone made it home to their destinations safely in spite of snow.  We did, indeed, have a merry Christmas!

On the 26th, Meg and I packed up the children and headed to Springfield, IL, to be with my sister and her family.  With stops for gas and leg-stretching, it was a 6-hour trip from Muncie.  The children, God bless them, were good as gold in the car.  That's a long haul for two little ones!

The order of business at my sister's lovely home was keeping the children out of things.  So many "pretties" to look at!  So many new places to "splore"!  We went to visit Robin and Ryan's little cousins Nicky and Tyler; drove around to see some outstandingly decorated homes; ate really well; and generally had a nice (if hectic) visit.  Getting the children to bed at night in the new surroundings was probably the hardest part.  We did have a minor meltdown when Robin shed some tears because "Da-Da" was so far away.  ("I hope Da-Da is looking for me.")  We never gave a thought to homesickness!

Wednesday morning, Meg got up sick.  She was down most of the day while Shari and I looked after the little ones.  On Thursday morning, Shari got up sick.  Not fun! Meg was well enough that we packed up the kids and headed back to Indiana, leaving Sis and husband to regain their house and health after the onslaught.  Again, no problems in the car or with the trip.  After a happy reunion with Da-Da, I gathered up the dawg and came home after a week away.  Be it ever so humble!

Tonight, I will celebrate the last of 2005 here at home.  Ring out the old!  Ring in the new!

 

Can we say COLD, boys and girls?

I think I have mentioned this, like, three times before, but let me reiterate that I hate cold and snow before Christmas!  I am already sick of the season, and it isn't even winter yet!!

I got my final exam written and run off before the end of the school day today, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Our classrooms were originally supposed to be moved to the new building last summer, before the start of the school year.  That didn't happen.  Then it was proposed for fall break.  That didn't happen.  Then it was proposed for Christmas break.  That's not going to happen.  At this point, I am hoping they won't move us until summer.  The sixth grade has already been moved twice to make room for construction work, and will be moved again.  It's crazy!

I have some radio club issues to deal with before I can switch to vacation mode...and even then, my time is not my own.  Right now, I am seeking "all is calm; all is bright".

Plans for now include going to Meg's on Thursday sometime, and staying until the 26th when I will depart for IL for a couple of days.  Weather permitting. 

'Tis the season to be busy!

 

Busy week!

Where to start?  Let's see...

Monday evening was the annual Hendricks County Amateur Radio Society's Christmas dinner and elections.  One of our members has been so bored with our yearly dinners that he volunteered to plan a "real" party for this year, and I must say he did a pretty nice job!  We took over a little restaurant in Avon, IN, that is usually only open for breakfast and lunch.  They catered our evening party.  We had the whole quaint place to ourselves.  Santa Claus was there, with presents; the food was good; and one of our members brought his guitar and some little Christmas carol songbooks, so we sang a few rounds of favorite holiday songs.   It was a festive time...and I was elected president of the club for another year by default.  (No one else wants to do it, I guess.)

Know who else was there?  Megan and Robin and Ryan!  Meg was about to go nuts at home with the children, so she opted to drive down to crash the party.  (Families were invited, so that was not a problem.)  Robin behaved quite well and looked like an absolute cream puff.  Ryan was a bit wound up, encouraged by another youngster who was running around the room, so we had to corral him some.  Both children ate poorly because they had stocked up on the chocolates that were on the table prior to dinner time!

Tuesday, I met with the young man that I will be tutoring after school.

Today after school was our weekly BARC meeting (Bulldogs Amateur Radio Club).  We have four 8th graders that have been pretty faithful about attending, so we are hopeful about getting them licensed and on the air soon.  ("We" is Rick Dubbs WW9JD, the other ham radio operator/teacher in my school, and me.) 

And tonight was the annual Hendricks County Amateur Radio Awards Night.  I was given a nice little plaque again for my work in the county and state.  I don't do what I do in radio for recognition--none of us do--but I have to admit that it is nice to have a time when we can honor our own for the tireless--and somewhat anonymous--volunteer work that goes on throughout the year. 

For family pictures, check out http://family.mamabeararts.com/

Winter weather due tomorrow.  Here we go again!  I hate it when we have this much snow before Christmas.  It makes for such a loooong winter!

No school!

Friday, the winds were blowing the heavy snow around, and school got called off.  I puttered around here at home waiting for the winds to die down and the road crews to do their work.  Left for Muncie about 2:30.  Interstates were mostly dry and traffic was light.  No problems.

We had a busy weekend, shopping and covering bases with the children.  Nathan worked on replacing the exhaust vent/light in the main bathroom on Saturday.  Took longer than it needed to because the first one we bought was too small for the hole in the ceiling.  (It was HUGE!)  Meg made two batches of soap.  We all worked full tilt just to stay in one place.  Meg and I both got some holiday shopping done.  That was nice...

Both Robin and Ryan came down with colds during the night last night and were fussy.  Poor Meg caught the brunt of most of that.  Robin's first crying spell, I heard.  (I didn't hear any of the others from her or Ryan after I fell asleep.)  Her mother and I both responded.  Mommy was rocking her to get her settled down, but she said "I want Gwamma."  Well!  I don't care what you say; I am here to tell you that there is no greater honor in life than to be requested by a grandchild who needs comforting!   Grandkids are a special gift from God!

Today, Sunday, Meg and Nate had to be at church early to rehearse with the choir for their songs for the service.  I was left on my own to get me and the children ready and get us there in time. Almost didn't make it!  (They go to the nursery and love it!)  Meg and Nate have joined the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie.  One of their members--a woman of Swedish descent--started a Santa Lucia tradition years ago.  December 13th is the feast day for Saint Lucy.  In Sweden, the eldest daughter in a family portrays St. Lucy.  Wearing a white gown and a crown of lit candles, she awakens her family with saffron buns and coffee on her feast day.  At the church service today, one of the young people--a high school girl that my grandchildren adore--was to be St. Lucy.  What we DIDN'T know was that St. Lucy was to be followed down the aisle by the "star children".  Meg and Nate were singing Santa Lucia with the choir while "St. Lucy" was walking down the aisle in her candled crown and tray of buns and coffee...followed by my grandchildren and the other nursery children in white gowns, crowns of golden glittery stuff, and carrying stars on staffs!  Angels all!  It was so very special!  Meg was singing with tears in her voice.  All I could think was, "We didn't bring a camera!!!"

Frodo and I got home about 6:00.  The house is peaceful but boring.  Tomorrow is my radio club's Christmas dinner and elections...plus school, of course.  Life goes on...  The weekends are all too short.

Let it snow!

Somewhere from the depths of the National Weather Service came a forecast for major snow.  It started rather innocently at 2:00 but soon became a big deal.  By school dismissal at 2:40, the roads were slick and the white stuff was collecting, big time.  The trip home on I-70 wasn't much fun, but I survived.  The winds have picked up.  I expect at least a 2-hour delay for the morning, if not a cancellation.  We shall see!

The real good news is that Meg got busy calling places about getting the Taurus' heating situation fixed.  One place she called said they could take the car right away.  He said they had seen a lot of heat problems with that particular car and that it almost always was something plugged at the heater core, requiring a power flush.  Well...Nathan did the power flush himself...and it worked!!  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  The car now has heat.  I just hope it lasts!  If it stays fixed, it will have saved me $150 in labor.  (It IS my car, after all...)

I shoveled 4-5 inches of snow around 4:30 this afternoon while it was still snowing.  Depending on the declaration in the morning, I will have to do a couple more then.  Have I mentioned how LONG winter is when inclement weather comes before Christmas??

My plan is to go to Muncie this weekend to provide another set of hands so Meg can shop.  Weather permitting.  I shopped our new Super-Wal-Mart yesterday and was totally UNimpressed with the basic selections.  MUCH better prices for food, but other merchandise has declined in choice.  Not good!

The early morning will determine the schedule for tomorrow.  If I get THE call about school, it will come around 6:00 AM.  For now, I have to plan as if it will be school as usual.  Nightie-night!

 

Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!

To the rest of the world, it is Pearl Harbor Day.  To my family, it is Shari's birthday...born on THE Pearl Harbor Day!  (Shari, I'm afraid that means that you are always destined to have everyone know how old you are!)  May you have many more of these anniversaries!

Snow on the way.  Still firming up Christmas plans.  I hate it when the weather is severe before the holidays.  It makes for a very long season!

 

Good news and bad news

First, the good news:  I have been assigned another homebound instruction job.  (The last one I had dried up after two weeks when the youngster just quit coming...and there is no really good recourse to make him.)  This one has the potential of becoming a year-long position.  I don't want to count on the money yet because things happen.  (The youngster prior to that, two years ago, got into a major automobile accident not long after he and I finished.  He wasn't expected to live.  He did survive, but the last I heard, he still was unable to talk or function on his own.)  In any case, the job only requires 5 hours a week from me but provides good funds, which will be a Godsend right now!

The bad news is from Muncie.  The Taurus that Meg drives (my old buggy) is not putting out any heat.  Repairs needed, but no money.  Also, her piece-o-crap expensive computer (circa 2000) is on its last legs.  Again, no money.  I understand that the world has changed.  At one time, a computer was a luxury.  Not so anymore!  It's a lifeline!  Whatever would I do without mine????

See pictures of my grandbabies:  http://family.mamabeararts.com/

How 'bout them Colts??

I was up early this morning in order to meet a couple of my ham SATERN friends so that we could go to the RCA Dome and provide communications for a toy-and-kettle collection event for The Salvation Army.  As it turned out, one of the guys didn't show up, so we operated without him.

We had freezing rain last night.  Today was forecast to reach a high of 35 degrees and provide 1-2" of snow.  The weatherman speaks with forked tongue!  We didn't get the snow, but we also didn't get anything nearly as high as 35 degrees!  I think 23 was the highest I saw on the bank near the Dome.  I was dressed for the weather (although I think I looked pretty bad), but even then, I got cold.  By the time we were released from duty and headed for the car, I couldn't feel my toes very well.  I was glad to be headed to home and warmth!

Happily, in spite of the weather, the Colts won.  (12-0!!)  Also as happily, we collected a short moving van full of brand new toys and what appeared to be quite a bit of money.  Among the toys, I saw two brand new bicycles, a sled, Leap Frog learning games...all affirming that people can be generous when given the opportunity.  I was in awe of the quality of the donated items.  I'm so proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of the event, even if I almost froze in order to do it! 

Her Royal Dogness

It occurred to me today, while trying to get the house ready for holiday decorations, that this year needed to be different.  The dog--not present in the house last year at this time--likes to wait for me in the bay window.  To get up there, she launches out of the rocking chair.  Normally, I move the rocking chair away from that area to put the Christmas tree in front of the bay window.  To make a long story short, in order to save my end tables from claw scratches as the dog tries to get to the window, I rearranged the living room and put the Christmas tree in a different spot.  It's the first time in 12 years that the furniture has been moved to different locations and it speaks well to my penchant to figuring out where things go and leave them there!  I don't like the new locations, but I can tolerate them for a month.  Which makes me wonder WHY I am decorating.  No one will be here to share the ambiance.  What's the point???

Will be doing duty at the RCA Dome tomorrow for TSA.  It will be cold.  (Freezing rain out right now.)  Wish me luck!

 

Where does the time go??

I remember my former mother-in-law, in her later years, saying "I don't know where the time goes, but it just does!"  So true!  Now it is December and cold and beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Am I ready?  Noooo....

This week at school was fraught with weather changes.  One day, it was raining so hard, horizontal to the ground, that my windows were being hit head-on, and they leak!  I had to call for a custodian to help mop up the puddles under the windows.  Then it turned cold.  With the wind blowing against my southern-facing windows, and no sun, (and the unreachable thermostat in the "univent" set at 65 degrees), I froze.  One day, I had to wrap up in an afghan on the couch at home and wait for 20 minutes for my feet to warm up enough to take a nap!  Yesterday, the fire alarm rang and sent us out into the cold and snow for 10 minutes.  Today, the 7th grade English teacher came in with tool in hand to reset the thermostat.  It worked!  Within 5 minutes, the room was almost too hot...so another adjustment fixed it.  The word comes down from the administration that we MIGHT be moving to the new middle school (old elementary school being remodeled) along about semester break.  I don't think so...but we'll see!

Sunday is a home Colts game.  The Salvation Army has a toy-and-kettle collection there.  My SATERN guys will be working the event again.  Wish us luck.  It is an outdoor event, but supposed to be 35 degrees with chance of rain or snow.  Yuck!

I've made some progress on Christmas decorations.  They are now out of the minibarn and onto the patio.  Whoop-de-doo!

 

 

 

 

Is there life after Thanksgiving weekend?

Silly, silly me!  I gave myself a day at home after Thanksgiving, then thought I would trek up to Muncie to help the children put up their Christmas tree.  Am I nuts, or what?

Let's see...cool weather + two little children with pent-up energy + Christmas tree = chaos!  Meg inherited a number of very large boxes of Christmas decorations from her father when he and his wife went to motorhome living, but she hadn't ventured into the boxes until this weekend.  At one point, Nathan walked  into "his" garage and stood there staring at the pulchritude of Christmas crap in various stages of being revealed.  Pretty mind-boggling!  On Saturday, he put the tree together and I put on the lights.  Today, we endeavored to decorate it.  Robin was getting into it; Ryan needed some lessons in how to hang ornaments.  By the end of the day, BOTH of the children were taking things OFF the tree!  Then, of course, there were the two trikes being driven through the house and rammed into things, and the dog following me around, and some fusses over who was getting what... 

When all was said and done, the living room looked nice.  There is ALWAYS more to do, of course...but all I could think of was that I had to do some holiday decorating of my own at home, and I think I will do it alone!

There were a couple of "funnies" with the children.  Before I went up there on Saturday, Megan IMed me that Robin had a stash of lima beans from the day before somewhere in her bedroom and that she was saving a special bean for Grandma.  At lunch after I arrived, Meg asked her if she had Grandma's special bean.  She thought for a second and said, "I think I ate it."  We howled!

Today at breakfast, I had my usual "morning hair"...curly and sticking up all over.  Megan was running Ryan through his colors.  He was getting them all correct.  Then she pointed to the table and asked what color it was.  He missed "brown," so she asked about what color other brown things were.  What color are Mommy's pants?  What color is Robin's hair?  Then, as a challenge, she asked, "What color is Grandma's hair?"  Ryan looked at my hair and said, "Noodles!"  Guess we know how my hair looked to him!   Frodo the Wonder Dog is a dead dog tonight.  She has finally acquiesced to riding in the back seat (on the floor) but always has to be lifted into the car upon departure, quivering all the way.  On the trip up to Muncie, I hear nothing from her until I get within a few blocks of the kids' house, then she comes alive.  Same thing on the way home.  When I turn onto Stanley Road just east of my house, she gets antsy.  Guess our neighborhoods smell!   December will be a busy month.  I hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving.  I am hoping for decent weather for the winter.  All fingers are crossed!

Turkey Day

Many thanks to Judy and Phil Heffelman for, once again, including me as part of their extended family for the Thanksgiving feast.  With our children farther away now, traditions are changing.  In time, we will figure things out.  For the moment, it was just nice for us all to be together.  I missed being with my sister and her family, but I hope to be able to make up for that during the Christmas holiday.

In attendance were Judy's aging Aunt Betty and Uncle Dale and their son Mark...plus Meg and Nathan and children, and Nate's brother Dan and his fiancee, Sara.  In all, there were 12 in a house nearly as small as mine!  Judy had way too much food, which was all very good.  Quite a feast!

Robin and Ryan were very good.  Robbie acted a bit shy around the folks that she doesn't get to see very often.  Every once in awhile, Grandpa has to tell her no about something--and no matter how nicely he says it, it breaks her heart.  It happened again today.  He told her that he didn't want her to bring the rocking horse into the living room because of the hazard to the older folks...and her lip quivered for quite a few minutes thereafter.  At the table, both she and Ryan were angels.  When Robin said she was done and wanted to get down, I whispered that she needed to ask Grandma Judy "May I be excused?"   To my amazement, she did!  Of course she was excused, and of course she looked like a cream puff for having done it!  Little Ryan just totally laps up the attention of his Grandpa.  Grandpa is his favorite person in the whole world.  He is such a cutie!  (Ryan, too!  Heh heh.)

I got home around 5:00.  Frodo was dancing in the window, waiting for me.  I have accomplished nothing BUT Thanksgiving today, by design.  Am currently waiting to hear that Meg and family got home okay.  I am a little concerned.  They should have been there by now...  They are driving my old Taurus which is now officially not putting out any heat.  They had the children bundled up with coats and blankets, but I worry...

Oh!  Meg just logged on!  Yay!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This occasion isn't about turkey or travel...or even family.  It is about giving thanks.  Nothing needed to bow one's head and thank the Good Lord for the year's blessings. 

I am thankful for my family, of course.  My sister, who cares about me even though we don't get together very much.  My daughter and grandchildren...not a total package.  I love them together and individually!  My job that keeps me grounded in reality.  My friends (ham and otherwise) who don't ask anything of me.  My health.  My life.

As God has blessed me, I try to give back to the world.  May He give you all as He has given me.  And may your Thanksgiving be blessed!

Be it ever so humble, cluttered, dirty...

...there's no place like home!  This is the first weekend in a month that I have been home.  Since the weather was somewhat decent, I decided to spend it doing yard work.  Well!  There's an awful lot of yard work to do...and I am just one person.  Suffice it to say that I got some done, but certainly not all that I had hoped.  <sigh>

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is this week!  My original plan to be with my sister and her family in IL has been altered, due to dawg and fatigue.  I run and run and run, forgetting that there simply has to be some productive "down" time in order to feel good enough to run some more.  Sorry, Shari.  I run as fast as I can just to stay in one place! 

Let's see...  I took the guest room comforter out of the dryer today to find that the seams were largely shredded.  I stubbed my pinky toe last night, and today it is purple.  My right arm muscle is sore from raking.  I broke an egg to make French toast this morning and managed to get many pieces of shell in it.  (How many years have I been breaking eggs??)  How am I doing, so far?  The good news is that I found the remote control for my bedroom TV, missing for at least a month, on the floor under some linen in the guest room where my grandchildren play.  The lost is found!

I spent a long time on the phone with Meg today, but the conversation got cut short when Meg announced that the Colts game was on.  Who woulda thunk that my kid would become such a football fan?!  The Colts are a big deal around these parts this year.  Having worked several Salvation Army events at the games over the last couple of years, I can attest to the insanity of the fans.  Not quite as bad as Indy 500 fans, but coming close!  I am watching the game, myself.  Go Colts!

Test message

There is no life without tests.  Checking a faulty situation...

Backpack Birthday

Left for Muncie on Friday afternoon in order to help with the preparations for my grandson's 2nd birthday.  On Saturday morning, I was preparing to clean the bathroom when I saw that Robin and Ryan were playing in and around Robin's bedroom door.  Robbie was inside her room.  Ryan was on his knees in the hall just outside, with this left hand raised to the door.  My "mother" instincts told me that this wasn't a good situation because of the potential for fingers pinched in the door, but since the children weren't fussing or even being rambunctious, I thought I would leave well-enough alone and turned my attention to the bathroom.  Only moments later, Ryan let out a wait, and I knew without looking what had happened.  I jumped into the hall to find the index finger of his left hand in the hinge edge of the door.  Robin had closed the door on it, but since the door didn't close properly, she started to do it again.  In effect, the door was closed on his little finger twice!

I got Ryan extricated from the door.  I took one look at the finger and panicked.  It wasn't bleeding, but it looked dented and crooked--basically smashed--with some skin peeled back.  I rushed him to the sink to run cold water over it, all the time yelling for Megan.  (She couldn't hear me because she had a hair dryer blowing in her ear.)  Nathan came on the run.  In a matter of minutes, they were on their way to the prompt-med place.  I stayed back with Robin.  X-rays showed that the finger wasn't broken, but it had started to bleed and was quite purple and swollen.  The doctor wrapped it in gauze for protection and taped it to his middle finger to help immobile it for a few days until it began to feel better.  And Grandma spent the rest of the day feeling awful because she saw it coming and didn't act to prevent the situation!  Robin, of course, didn't have a clue what she had done to hurt her brother, and certainly hadn't done it on purpose, so there was no point in placing blame.  To his credit, Ryan was a good patient and hasn't complained about the finger since, although he wasn't using that hand.  Poor little guy!

Today was Ryan's big day.  After church, Nathan took the kids to the backyard to play (and keep them out of our hair).  At one point, he was in his daddy's arms, crying, because he had fallen off the swing.  I yelled out the window, "Grandma and Grandpa are here!"  The tears shut off RIGHT NOW, and Ryan made a bee-line for the house.  He loves his Grandpa Heffelman!  We had a great birthday meal, sang the traditional song, had cake and ice cream, then had Ryan open presents. 

Robin had some presents, too, but she soon figured out that the day wasn't all about her.  She went over to her father and told him that she was going to have "sad time" out in the back yard.  I followed her out.  She had gone clear to the back of the property and got up on her Little Tykes slide deal.  She said she was having "lonely time".  I asked her if she was feeling lonely because someone else was getting the attention, and she said, "'Cep' me."  It is sometimes difficult to believe that I am dealing with a 3-year-old!  It was very clear what the problem was, and she was able to verbalize it!  Within minutes, we went back in the house, and Robin started playing quite imaginatively with some of Ryan's presents.  (He didn't care.  He was too busy on his knees playing with his trains and cars!)  They played nicely for the duration of the Colts game (which we were watching on DVR)--then the grandparents all departed for Plainfield.  Meg wrote to tell me that the kids did NOT want to go to bed.  Surprise, surprise!

So, why is it a Backpack birthday?  Ryan got a Thomas the Train backpack, and Robin got a Dora the Explorer backpack.  Ryan got a Dora the Explorer talking toy backpack, complete with compass, map, telescope and video camera.  He also got little doll named Eddie, which had a backpack on his back...  (For those of you who don't have little ones around, Dora the Explorer is a favorite TV program.  Robin can count in Spanish because of it!

All in all, it was a pretty nice party for a little dude who probably won't remember it in 5 years!  Did we overdo it?  I don't think so.  Everyone deserves to have one special day, surrounded by the people who love him/her.  Today was Ryan's. 

To those of you whom I have bored with the accounting of this weekend's escapades, I apologize.  Hey...I warned you on the very first entry in this blog that I would be talking about my grandchildren a lot!  It is fantastic to have two healthy, cute, bright, delightful children in my life.  What a blessing!

The Big Blow

Every year, the situation with the leaves and leaf raking is a bit different from the year before.  This season, the ash tree in my yard to the south did not turn yellow as it usually does, but true to previous years, it dropped its leaves all at once.  Last year, the maples in the front of the house dropped their leaves over several weeks, requiring several rakings in order not to overload the curb where the city workers vacuum them up.  This year, there were no leaves coming down from them until <whooooosh!> came the winds and storms of the past few days.  As I raked this afternoon, I noticed that the bulk of them are down without too many on the roof.  Thank you, Mr. Wind!  I might not have to rake forever!

Speaking of the Big Blow, several towns in southern Indiana were hit with an F-3 tornado in the wee hours of Sunday morning when people slept.  Twenty-two folks lost their lives in that one, with many more injured.  Most of the fatalities were from a mobile home park--tornado magnets that they are.  The Salvation Army has six mobile feeding units and two fixed feeding stations on scene.  I spent quite a bit of time last night talking to SATERN radio operators who are giving us a hand down there.  I'm still trying to determine if I should go.  This one will take awhile to clean up...

Last Sunday, one of my ham friends accompanied me to Meg's in Muncie to do some home repairs.  (Thanks, Mike!)  While Meg and I vacated with the children in order to shop for play clothes for Robin, the guys did the work without urchins underfoot.  Meg fed us well, then Mike and I headed back to the Indy area.   I had to chuckle a bit, though.  When "Gwamma" comes to visit, I sleep in the living room on their futon, in my sleeping bag.  (Robin loves my sleeping bag!)  Sunday, the dear child assumed that I would be staying for a "sleepover"...and her little brain was working overtime when she saw that I had Mike with me.  She said, "Gwamma, you can share your sleeping bag with Mike!"  If Mike weren't such a good friend, the moment might have been embarrassing.  As it was, I told her that I had to go home so I could work, and muttered under my breath that I was sure Mike's wife would appreciate Robin's generous offer!

Sunday is little Ryan's second birthday.  It is difficult to imagine that he isn't yet two years old because he is quite amazingly verbal.  On Halloween, when he was in costume, I asked him to tell one of my colleagues what he was.  He said, "I'm a boy!"  Uh...well...yeah.  Stupid Grandma!  Meg had him practice blowing out candles today.  She is such a good mommy.  I would never have thought to do that!

Threat of storms again tonight.  I don't have to worry about my longwire antenna.  It came down in the last storm on Sunday!  <sigh> 

 

Wal-Mart Superstore

Beautiful downtown Plainfield has a brand new Wal-Mart Superstore that just opened up a week or two ago.  Plainfield has a Kroger, a Marsh, and an Aldi's--all grocery stores.  I ventured into the new Wally on Tuesday and noticed that the prices were pretty decent, so I endeavored to do a stock-up trip after payday (today) since the cupboard was getting pretty bare here at home.

Lesson learned:  there are some things that are more important than price!  I am not familiar with the layout of the new store, so it took me awhile to find everything I needed (lacking a list).  I went up and down the grocery aisles getting regular and frozen foods--then realized that I had to go WAYYYY to the other end of the store for dog food and toiletries.  I think I did the width of the store three times before I was secure that I had everything.  I didn't find meat prices to be all that good.  (The brand new IGA store in Monrovia, where I work, has better specials.)  Sooo...it looks like I will continue to do the stock-up shopping at Wal-Mart, but will probably still patronize my happy little Marsh store.  I wonder how much the new store will eat into the business of the old stores...

It was warm again today.  Still is!  I should have spent my afternoon out working in the yard, but didn't.  <sigh>  The best part about the day?  It's FRIDAY!

 

Ugh

I have really let things go around the house.  For reasons known only to God, BOTH of the lamps in my bedroom went south at the same time.  (Replaced one socket.  Don't know about the other one, yet.)  Bulbs burn out, leaves fall down, dishes get dirty, and grass grows.  Go figure!

Megan and the children came down yesterday afternoon so that Meg could use my computer.  That made me Chief Cook and Bottle Washer with the children.  Largely, they were good, but I'm not as young as I used to be!  We colored on paper, and we played outside, and we took a bath....but the biggest babysitter is Dora, the Explorer.  Thank God for Dora videos!  Okay...so I have to confess to delivering my grandbabies to the Boob Tube.  It's better than yelling all the time and going crazy!  Meg is convinced that she is a bad mother when she lets the kids watch TV, but I am here to tell you that mindless entertainment works for all of us!

I am feeling somewhat empowered at school these days.  For the first time since I made the move to the jr-sr high school...back in...uh...'95?...my efforts for the children seem to be appreciated.  The new middle school principal announced to me the other day that she had chosen me to go on a scouting expedition with other schools to help create our new curriculum.  As a result of the new situation, I am teaching better and feeling better.  This year's schedule is good, and this year's class is a WHOLE lot better than last year's.  For the moment, I am feeling successful...at least at school!

I think tomorrow is Friday and payday.  Yay!

Ghoulies and ghosties and three-leggedy beasties...

It's Halloween! 

 First things first:  Happy Birthday to my brother Doug, who hasn't spoken to his sisters, or cared, for quite a few years.  Still, I think of him on occasions like this and send him loving wishes, in honor of our parents and grandparents to whom family was everything.  Doug doesn't have this blog address, nor would he read it, if he did.  Nevertheless, I care.  This is his 52nd birthday. 

In the last few minutes of the last period of the school day today, a classroom door opened and in walked my grandchildren in their costumes:  the cutest little asta-not and froggie that you ever saw!  Meg and Nate managed to get them to Monrovia in time for me to show them off to my students and colleagues.  After school, we all came back to Gwamma's House for a bite to eat and some play before time to go trick-or-treating.  They made it around the neighborhood for about an hour before coming back, then heading to "uyah" (other) gwamma's house.  Robin's costume has been a hit everywhere she has gone.  Next year, Meg will be busy making TWO costumes.  (This year, she acquiesced to buying Ryan's, since he really isn't old enough to appreciate the occasion.) 

This is my first Halloween with a dog.  Trick-or-treaters were an issue.  The scenario goes:  <knock, knock>  BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, etc.  Ugh!  At one point, I shut the Frodog in the back bedroom, which only resulted in scratching frantically at the door AND barking.  If anyone would like a 5-year-old UNhousebroken dog who thinks she is still a puppy princess, please call!  (I'm not kidding!)

Long after civic Halloween curfew, there were teens roving the neighborhood.  The last bunch at the stop sign in front of my house was pitching firecrackers and driving the dawg nuts.  Ever the teacher, I went out on the stoop and yelled that they needed to move on.  They did.  Either I won or I can expect to find my car damaged in the morning!

Let's see....next major event is little Ryan's 2nd birthday, on November 13th.  It is hard for me to believe the Little Dude isn't even 2 yet.  With his very verbal and precocious big sister as an example, he is quite beyond his years in language skills.  What does this say about our family?  That we talk a lot???

I guess I should mention that I can't hear very well out of my left ear again.  This is the ear that has had two tubes put in over the last 8 years because, for reasons known only to God, the eustachion tube doesn't drain properly.  I didn't find the last tube, if it came out, but a ringing has developed, and I find that I'm not hearing well in that ear, at all...again.  Am looking to see if the minor surgery to replace yet another tube is part of my $500 deductible.  <sigh>

All is quiet now.  Grandma Judy tells me that the kids JUST left their house.  I can't rest until I know that they are home safely.  The trickety-treaters have given up the ghost (so to speak)...so the ghoulies and ghosties and three-leggedy beasties and things that go BUMP in the night can rest for another year. 

God Bless the children!

Whirlwind weekend!

The Frodog and I are home after a VERY busy weekend in Muncie.  When I go up there, I try to leave them in a little bit better shape than when I arrived.  This time, due to the extremely busy nature of what we were trying to do, I only left them in a VERY LITTLE bit better shape! 

Ummm....let's see.  We shopped for costume parts and food, etc.  We were planning for Halloween, "creating" for a church bazaar, planning for Robin's pre-school Halloween party that Meg is helping with, keeping children somewhat entertained and happy, and carving jack-o-lanterns.  There were meals in there, and naps for Ryan, endless laundry...and Nathan worked.

The highlights of the weekend:  *Nathan carved out some low trashy branches between two close cedar trees in their back yard to make a haven that is just child-sized.  The children love it!  *Robin's costume turned out adorable!  It was a hit at their church's Halloween parade.  The dear child has no clue!   *Daddy and Robin and Mommy created jack-o-lanterns out of "pumpins". (Ry-baby was napping.)  *Robin told me I was her "best friend" upon my departure--prompted by her mother.  Never mind!  It was pretty special to me!  My little Ry-Guy gets short shrift sometimes because his sister is so vocal and advanced...but guess what?  So is he!  He talks in large sentences...and his second birthday isn't for another two weeks.  What a sweetie!

I haven't seen Frodie but twice since we got home.  I guess she is as exhausted as I!

I have to teach tomorrow, but I don't have a clue where I am going with it.  For now, I am glad to be home and happy to know that the grandkids will be here tomorrow for trickety-treating.  Gotta love it!

Angels!

To some, God provides challenges.  To others, He provides grandchildren that can be angels.   Meg and I gave the grandchildren some challenging situations today, and they were as good as gold.  Angels!

Meg had some errands to run this morning, so I stayed home with the children.  I folded laundry while they watched their favorite shows in TV, etc.  When she got home, we had lunch and then started on a shopping quest for Halloween costume parts.  Normally, this would not be a big deal, but we were trying to honor Robin's request to be an astronaut without breaking the bank.  SEVERAL dollar stores later, we think we have all the parts.  Grandma and Grandpa Heffelman sent the children $1 each in Halloween cards, so when we went to Deals today, they were given their money to spend.  Ryan, of course, went for whatever he could get...and then some.  Robin, however, was comparison shopping to get the most for her buck.  She told me, at one point, that she needed help deciding what she wanted!  She walked around the entire store, untethered, carrying a bassek (basket).  Neither she nor Ryan ever left our sight nor created a problem.  Whew!  They both decided on books.  Great choice, according to Grandma and Mommy!

After Nate got home, Meg and I needed to do more shopping, so we left the children with him and headed out.  When we got home, we found little Ryan sound asleep across two kitchen chairs, Robin bouncing around happily, and Nathan busily cooking some Greek concoction:  Eggplant Mousaka.  Ryan was put to bed.  While Nate was cooking, Robin happily painted with her water colors for at least an hour without coming up for air.  After supper, we all played Candy Land.  There is no question that Robin enjoys whatever time she can get away from her brother.  The day before I came here, I heard her over the telephone telling Ryan that it was time for his nap!

God Bless the Children!  In one of our shopping excursions today, we were walking down aisles of fabric.  Robin was in a shopping cart with Meg.  I was loose...as was Ryan.  At one point, two ladies stepped between Ryan and his mother...and suddenly he was crying.  I went  to see what was wrong.  He apparently thought he was lost.  I picked him up; he grabbed my neck and put his head on my shoulder as if he had been lost for a century!  Look at the scenario:  Meg and Robin were no more than 5 feet from him.  His "out of contact" time could not have been more than 10 seconds.  In fact, sometimes he thinks it is a game to be away from Mommy.  Go figure! 

Tomorrow we will create the astronaut costume and attempt to clean up around here.  I ain't gonna be easy!  But....for today...my grandchildren were delightful little angels.  The horns come later!

 

 

Munchie!

Yay!  First day of the 4-day weekend called "fall break" in Indiana!  When my alarm rang this morning, I had to remind myself that I didn't really have to get up!

I have a zillion things to do at home, but decided that I would spend the four days in Muncie with my family.  I mean, it is almost Halloween, and my grandchildren need costumes so they can come to Plainfield to trick-or-treat!  You get the picture...

Sometime after noon, I was ready to head out.  Had to go to two banks and get gas.  Frodo the Wonder Dog was with me.  Frodo HATES riding in the car.  She shivers and thinks she belongs under the driver's feet.  Wrongo!  First bank, I went in and came out--had to remove Frodo from the front seat to the back.  Second bank, I went in and came out--had to remove Frodo from the front seat to the back.  Gas station, I tanked up and came out--had to remove Frodo from the front seat to the back.  She has, fortunately, figured out that she will NOT ride under my feet while I'm driving...but I have to remind her, sometimes.  She makes the trip, begrudgingly, on the floor of the back seat.  (No Gary Larson dog with ears flapping in the wind, here!)  Interesting thing, however, is that she gets totally animated, going and coming, about 5 blocks from either home.  She likes being here in Muncie.  The kids have a nice back yard, with critter smells, but she is still not housebroken.  Has piddled on the kids' new carpet twice today, already.  She is now asleep, sideways, on my sleepng bag on the living room futon!  Make room, little dog.  I'm ready to hit the sack!

For my daughter

It occurred to me tonight, while talking to the parents of other people's children, that I don't tell you often enough how much I love you.  I remember that I kissed my grandchildren good-bye last night, and I told you that I love you, but I didn't hug and kiss you!  Please understand that you are the light of my life (second only to my grandchildren right now--sorry!) and that any lapse of physical affection does NOT represent any lapse of love for you.  The greatest satisfaction of my life, when my mother passed away when I wasn't there, came in accepting that she KNEW I loved her, and I KNEW she loved me.  No regrets!  I haven't always been the best mother to you, but it wasn't because I didn't care.  I love you almost as much as I love Robin and Ryan!  (Somehow, I think you understand.)

Mom

Another Long Day!

There is a little bit of chaos in our school district this year.  We have built a new elementary school that not all of the classes have moved into yet...and the old elementary is being remodeled to become our new middle school (where I will be when it is finished).  In addition, we have a new superintendent in his very first superintendency, so things are...well...different.  I like the man, so far.

This time of year (after the first 9-weeks report card), we have typically had a 2-hour parent conference time in the evening where parents just show up to talk to whomever teachers they want to see.  This year, all of us were brought into line with the elementary school's hours on this.  Thus, the students went home at 11:00.  Parent conferences went from noon to 8:00 PM, with an hour for supper.  This would have been great had our conferences been scheduled.  As it was, I got a lot of papers graded before 5:00 because no one showed up until after supper.  The evening, however, seemed to drag on and on.  I have talked all day!  Guess who didn't even want to get on the radio on the way home???

The students go home at 1:00 again tomorrow, and we will have conference availability from noon until 3:00---then we are off Thursday and Friday for fall break.  I'm betting there won't be many parents there during those hours also!

Interestingly, one of my students this year is the new superintendent's daughter.  As it turns out, her maternal grandparents are friends of mine from Cloverdale days.  I talked to her mother tonight.  Very animated lady.  I guess I am in luck--the daughter likes my class! 

Meg and the children came down last evening so Meg could use my computer for some stuff that HER computer wouldn't let her do.  Robin is an absolute whirlwind, and Ryan just gets cuter every day.  He talks in long sentences now and gets very vociferous when there is something "bad" going on.  He gets a furrowed brow and talks quite loudly, sometimes gesturing with one hand.  I made the mistake of saying that he was in Grandma's back yard.  "It's OUR back yard!  It's OUR back yard!"  Okay, Ryan...if you want it to be YOUR back yard, be my guest!

I really have a ton of stuff to do around this house, but I'll be going to Muncie on Thursday to help out there, with dawg.  The joke's on them.  They have to feed me!

Coats for Kids

As most everyone in my circle of life knows, I volunteer for The Salvation Army as a disaster radio communicator.  Yesterday, my team of radio operators worked Coats for Kids in Indy...during which TSA gave away over 4,000 coats to children.  And if you don't think that 4,500 children plus their parents/guardians under one roof isn't as close to a disaster as you can get, read on!

Coats for Kids provides contributed new and "gently used" winter coats for anyone who shows up with children in tow.  Channel 13 provides the media attention; Tuchman Cleaners dry cleans all of the contributions; and The Salvation Army does ALL the rest.  It is an enormous task!  This takes place once a year at the State Fairgrounds.  Essentially, patrons who show up are given tickets with numbers at the door--one ticket per child.  Then the numbers are called for people to enter the coat rack area, and they are taken around by volunteer escorts.  Each child is allowed two coats...a lightweight jacket, and a heavier one, or snowsuit.  Every coat/jacket is tried on, etc.  It takes time, and the wait is usually 1-2 hours. 

What happens when one expects young children to wait in a huge enclosed area with no seating for 1-2 hours?  Chaos!  There was no food on the premises.  Children get hungry.  Children fall asleep.  Children run and punch and get lost and cry.  About 1/3rd of the folks were white, another third Hispanic, and the last third African-American.  Some are patient and smiling.  Some impatient.  Only one was abusive.  We had to escort one small group of young men out because they were, essentially, trying to steal coats.  (Older kids--late teens/early 20's--no adult chaperone, etc.)  Someone defecated in the parking lot.  Drinks were spilled. A couple of "lost" children cried for their mommies.  One family group got so rambunctious that I had to ask them to stop or "take it outside".  (The mother was in the midst of it.  She said, "We do this all the time at home!"  Later, I discovered a large hole in a wall near where they were.  <sigh>)

Salvation Army's new logo is "Doing the most good".  Sometimes, doing the most good means "doing the least harm".  At one point, we realized that there weren't many volunteer escorts into the coat rack area, and no new ones wereexpected to show up.  The ticket numbers on the portable billboard just stopped advancing for an hour or so.  The natives were getting restless--and rightly so.  We were stalled at number 3670, but had given out 4,500 tickets.  By this time, there were only two radio operators left--Dave Leimenstoll and me--and we were sidling up to the coordinators to find out what Plan B was.  There was no Plan B!  The gals in charge came up with one in short order after it became obvious that we were going to make headlines:  "Coats for Kids Runs until 10:00 PM; Hundreds of Kids Go Home Coatless!" 

Thank goodness, that didn't happen!  We opened up the coat rack area for people to shop WITHOUT volunteer escorts, asking that they check out with TSA people at the exit table.  By that time, bless them, people had been waiting for hours...and some were still smiling.

Dave and I stayed until the very end (around 6:00 PM). We met up with Dave's wife for dinner on the way home.  I arrived home about 8:00, making it a 14-hour volunteer day.  Several times, I asked myself why parents with small children would submit themselves to that experience...and then I remembered that MOST of the families we served had more than 3 children.  With gas prices and threats of high heating prices over the winter, families are trying to prepare for the worst.  Buying coats for children, times multiple children, gets really expensive. 

The highlights of my day?  My radio volunteers who are the best!  A family on the premises--mother in a motorized scooter--with her six kids quietly playing Uno on the floor, while the chaos went on around them.  (That was one prepared mommy!)  A 6-year-old African-American girl who asked if she could sit on my lap...and did.  Meeting and talking to TSA officers.  Finding out that one of the Hurricane Katrina evacuees that TSA had sheltered back in September--a young hearing impaired woman who thought there was no future for her because of her disability--is now studying at Gallaudet University because the Salvation Army officer in charge of her care while here steered her in that direction!

I'm glad I was able to help with Coats for Kids again this year.  My biggest reward, however, came from my daughter who told me she was proud of my volunteerism and asked  me how many things I volunteer for.  Meggy, I don't  know!!   It just goes along with amateur radio!

And while I was doing my thing in Indy, my grandchildren were having a fun day at a place called Farmland, seeing animals and pumpkins and taking "twakka" rides on a nice autumn day.  Apparently, little Ryan had an encounter with a chicken that made a move toward a rock that he was carrying.  "Dat CHICKEN bite mine wock!"  What a hoot!

Warning!

To all who venture to read this journal, be forewarned that I adore my grandchildren and many of the entries on here will be laced with Gwamma's bragging!  (I prefer to think that I am an objective observer in their lives, but [alas!] it is not so!)

I have never been much of a "baby" person.  I had a baby brother once, but wasn't at the stage of life to feel very maternal about him (I was, maybe, 5 when he was born.)  I adored my own baby, of course, but there is something about motherhood that creates so much work that one scarcely has time to really sit back and enjoy each moment.  Most of it consists of exhaustion and trying to get through each day with the least amount of damage..  Then came grandchildren!  Who'd a-thunk that I would be so crazy about those babies?!  For that reason, I feel so selfish that I can  dote on my grandchildren while their mother goes quietly nuts with the chaos!

Still, I can't help but think that Meg and Nate take some satisfaction in knowing that their babies are so loved by both (uh...three?) sets of grandparents..  And because of them, I also appreciate my great-grandnephews, Nicky and Tyler Watts..  What a cute lot they all are!  I would love to have a group picture of the baby cousins on MY side of the family!

I leave you with little Ryan's last words to me on Saturday:  "I wuzz you!" 

 

 

Whew! Long day!

Taught school all day today, then awaited the arrival of my "homebound" tutoring student after school.  (He is excluded from school but gets instruction--from me--bjust not at home.  His mother prefers that he come to the school at the end of the day...but now that's not even working.)  After 45 minutes of trying to work with him and watching him be totally uncooperative, I let him go...then headed for home, myself.

This evening, SATERN was to provide radio communications for the Coats for Kids campaign put on by Salvation Army and Channel 13 at the RCA Dome for the Colts game.  This was a collection night.  (The coats will be distributed next Saturday.)  It was a gorgeous night to be in downtown Indy, but it was crazy down there!  Colts fans--like Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 fans--come to the event somewhat tanked up.  And they were everywhere!  Quite a "happening"!

I rode in with my blind friend, Bill, and his wife.  I am so glad I did!  I don't know Indy very well and would not have negotiated the traffic and/or construction without getting lost.  As it was, we had to park over a mile away and walk in.  Bill's service dog, Chance, can really cut through the pedestrian traffic!  Anyway, we rubbed elbows with the television personalities, but it looked to me as though the coat donations were down this year.  We gave out over 3,500 of them last year.  Hope there will be enough for everyone who needs them THIS year.

I got home just after 10:00 PM.  Time to unwind and hit the sack.  Maybe some day I'll actually have something important to say in this journal!

A lazy Sunday

Hello to all who wish to follow my mind ramblings! 

I don't know much about blogs, but they seem to be all the rage now.  Kind of like an online diary.  When I was a kid, one wanted one's diary to be kept secret.  Now, no one seems to care who is looking!

Every story has a beginning, and mine starts now.  Today, Sunday, I was home alone and just putzing around the house.  Works for me!  Yesterday, Meg and the children came down to can her luscious apple butter and have the children's portraits taken.  (Portraits weren't very successful.  The children were good as gold all day....except then!  Apple butter canning, however, went quite well!)

Bless anyone who reads this.  I'm just blathering on...